The word ‘Genre’ finds it roots in French, wherein the word means a
‘kind’ or a ‘type’. In the conventional sense, if an entity can be
classified into a certain structure, theme or style, then it can be
said to belong to a particular genre. The reason that new genres are
created is because trends are ever –changing, and the audience desires
new themes, styles or structures that lead to the creation of newer
genres.
The definition of genre is controversial as it has a classical
implication and a colloquial implication. In the classical sense, a
genre cannot be transient: it does not have the flexibility to belong
to two or more themes, structures or styles. However, digital genres
are different. Examples of digital genres are newer kinds of music
such as hip hop, alternative or modern day electronic music. Digital
genres are more flexible and a good example to illustrate this point
is the evolution of rap music from the 1980s to modern day times.
